Habits
by PeetoLove
Summary: AU- Peeta is unprepared to face the horrible tragedies of the arena in the Seventy-Third Hunger Games. Cato has found a habit of keeping the boy alive, even though he's barely even held a steady conversation with him. Cato may just end up being Peeta's breath of life when his district partner finds the need to hunt him down and put him through hell.
1. Chapter 1

**HABITS – ONE**

The twenty-four tributes raised from the ground almost as if magic. Peeta Mellark, a baker from Disrict Twelve, stares off into the woods. He is not ready. None of these children are, to be honest. Not the careers, even. No one should be forced to experience the horrors this arena holds.

_Boom. _The District Eight boy has tripped and fallen off of the platform and his limbs are flying. Peeta sees the boy's District partner scream. Cato watches his own district partner, Clove, laugh at the moronic boy. "Sick. It's sick." He recalls the beautiful blonde baker saying to his District partner when he believed Cato wasn't listening. The words that made him vow he'd show Peeta Mellark he was not a bad person. He would show Peeta that he had a heart. But he'd protect the boy from a distance. He couldn't afford Peeta actually learning to care for him.

A siren blows and Cato sees Peeta's been caught off guard. Cato has already flung himself at a weapon and is running for the now cornered innocent sixteen year old. He slashes through the District One girl and Clove, his partner. Peeta's now slung over the taller blondes shoulder, kicking and screaming. He's unarmed, so Cato stops back at the cornucopia to grab the boy a spear.

He barrels through the trees, dropping Peeta off safely against a tree and leaving the spear there before beginning to tread off. Marvel, the boy from One, had already left a gash in Cato's leg. It hurt like hell, but he ignored it. Or tried.

He fell to his knees. Peeta still stared at the boy in shock as he screamed out in pain. Surely it was worse than poor Cato had thought.

"W-Why did you save me?" Peeta yells, cautiously inching toward Cato after picking the spear off the ground.

Cato leaves the question unanswered as he raises to his feet, wielding his sword close to him. Peeta flinches at the sight of the metal.

"Aren't you gonna run?" Cato asks roughly through his gritted teeth. Peeta shakes his head.

"I have a feeling you don't want me hurt. And I still don't know why." Peeta says, restating the question as he fidgets with the backpack he grabbed. What he didn't notice was how silently and quickly Cato ran off. He didn't seem to want to answer the question at hand.

Cato finds himself running into Cole, and he flinches as she raises a knife to his throat. "Where's Peeta! The blonde boy? I want him out!" She yells as he is pinned against a tree.

"I don't know! He ran off when I got him out of the blood bath." Cato lies, trying to ignore the gash in his leg.

"Dammit!" She curses a rushes off, disappearing into the woods.

As Cato finds camp in a tree where Peeta's camp is in sight, he is disturbed by the cannons. Fourteen. Fourteen less tributes to deal with. Cato was sure Clove and Glimmer were dead. Also the District Eight boy. He saw the small girl from Eleven get slaughtered by Marvel.

Marvel. A major force to be reckoned with. He was ruthless and fierce, but still no match for Cato. No one in the arena was able to destroy Cato in a duel. As long as he had his trusty sword and he was aware of his surroundings, you were already claimed dead.

Unless you were Peeta Mellark, that is.

Cato had admired Peeta's wits and kindness from afar in the past five days. To anyone else he seemed just another dead tribute, but to Cato he was the boy who had haunted his dreams since he was Twelve. The boy who could teach him to be a real person, and not the Capitols puppet, born to win the games.

Peeta had started a small fire when night came. Not the smartest move, but he had set snares around his camp. So it was safe, especially considering Cato was playing his guardian angel, ready to drop from the branch and trample whoever came near his baker boy. Cato had received medicine for his leg, and the seering pain was begging to lessen.

It had always been a habit of Peeta's, making a good impression on people. He obviously had not won Cole over, but Cato was a different story. Hell, the whole of Panem was a different story. Peeta was the definition of perfect; Smart, charming, kind and caring. Not to mention handsome. Cato didn't find himself even half as good as Peeta. Cato was good-looking and strong, but in his mind he was nothing compared to the amazing District Twelve tribute, and the poster-child of his dreams and nightmares.

Cato had dreamt of the boy in this exact scenario, actually. The Seventy-Third Hunger Games, fighting to the death. Some nights they got out together. Some nights he watched the boy suffer a terrible death as Cato was restrained by other tributes. In fact, the torturer looked like Marvel...

He thought it all a coincidence. He'd never guess but soon he'd go on the worst roller coaster of emotion with this boy right at his side.

Peeta watches the sky intently while the faces flash across it. The faces he'd never see again. He hadn't known the tributes to well, but he was going through this with them; They were just as scared, just as worried, just as hopeful.

Cato makes a mental list of the fallen.

_ The girl from One. Glimmer_

_ The girl from Two. Clove_

_ The boy from Three. Kellan_

_ Both tributes from Five._

_ Both Tributes from Six._

_ Both tributes from Eight._

_ Both tributes from Nine._

_ Both tributes from Ten._

_ The girl from Eleven._

Eleven tributes dead. Eleven. Both boys had known they'd die at some point, but the fact that they are now... It scares both of them. They had spoken with these kids. They had gotten to know them just to cut them in half or snap their necks.

Cato had done it to protect Peeta. Peeta already promised himself that he'd never kill an innocent soul. Cato could do it for him if he had to.

The only threats left were Marvel and Cole. The others were capable, but not as much so as the One and Twelve tributes. Marvel was understandable, but Cole was just plain _insane_. She killed most of those tributes at the blood bath before they knew what hit them. When Cato was trapped by her, her face was completely maroon with blood. You could see crazy in her eyes.

Then, from the side of his vision Peeta isn't on, he sees them. Cole and Marvel, together. An alliance, and a threatening one at that. Cole sways her head from side to side, scoping Peeta out Cato guesses, as she maniacally laughs at her knives. Marvel wipes his bloddy spear head off on his already drenched jacket.

A deadly duo.

Cato already knows how challenging it will be to keep his angel alive, but he's going to do everything in his power to do it.

Ladies and gentle-men, The Seventy-Third Hunger Games have begun.


	2. Chapter 2

**HABITS – TWO**

Cato dropped down and watched Peeta sleep that night. Peeta didn't even budge when Cato's tall figure hit the ground. He was a heavy sleeper, which wouldn't help him in the Games. Thank god Cato was watching over him.

Cato sat there until morning came, every now and then brushing Peeta's hair back down when it was blown in the wind. Peeta couldn't tell he was there at all; Which was a good thing for Cato. Surely Peeta would jump and attack if he woke up to the menacing Career tribute brushing away his loose strands of hair.

Peeta spent the next day looking. Looking for Cato Jensen. And Cato Jensen spent the hours watching Peeta look for him cluelessly. Cato was quiet for how big he was, and for a whole seven hours Peeta didn't even notice he was stalking behind him.

When Cato heard a rustling in the brush, he raised his sword defensively. It had gone unheard by the ears of Peeta Mellark. If it was Cole, Cato had no chance. Cole was fast and vicious. Cato was rather slow, an effect of his height and muscle.

And the fact they were both fucked cut in when he saw the blond hair swaying from behind the trees. But she didn't seem to see Peeta yet.

Cato runs out and jumps on top of Peeta, who opens his mouth to scream. He notices the purple berries in his hand and sees how his lips have none of the juicy substance on them.

Cato forcefully lays his hand over Peeta's mouth, and the screams come out muffled.

"Shut up! Do you want your insane District partner to hear you?" Cato harshly whispers.

Peeta immediately shuts his trap, and Cato doesn't remove his hand until the blonde locks are flying away in a sprint.

Cato stands and attempts to take the berries from Peeta's hand. Peeta instinctively slaps him away.

"Okay. Just don't blame me when when you're dead." Cato says, throwing his hands up, trying to push aside the worry he feels.

Peeta tilts his head and cocks his eyebrow. "D-Dead?" He stutters.

Cato nods as he turns away. "That stuff's nightlock. Kills you the instant you eat it. Thank me later." the mysterious career say as he walks off.

Peeta watches the boy walk off. He still wonders why the boy has to use such a mysterious nature. Why he can't even stay and let Peeta say thank you. Peeta still feels something for the boy though. He knows he shouldn't but he's saved his life three times in two days. And they've never even had a true conversation.

Peeta marks a mental note to thank him next time. He's sure there will be a next time.

"_Tell Cato Jensen how grateful you are._" He whispers to himself smiling, before placing the nightlock in the small pocket of his backpack. It could come in handy.

Cato ventures not to far from the innocent District Twelve tribute, keeping his still-watchful eyes trailing him through the woods. Peeta seems to still not acknowledge his presence, but he knows he's out there making an effort to keep him safe. Something just tells him he is.

And while the two blonde boys survive and smile at the though of each other, Marvel and Cole plot their attacks. Cole was just plain insane, but Marvel, he had a reason to hate Cato Jensen. He had just killed the one girl he ever loved. The girl he vowed to get out of this arena. Back in District One Glimmer and him had been inseparable. Nothing changed when she volunteered and he pretty much promised losing her life to save him.

But the truth was, Glimmer just used Marvel as her play thing. She'd use him for pleasure, and all the while he had loved her more than anything. He thought that maybe, just maybe, if he gave his life for her she'd finally love him back. Marvel was to oblivious to realize how big of a... well, bitch, she was.

Cole had lost most everything she owned in a fire. Her parents, her clothes, her food. She was a freak before it, but that drove her over the edge. Now she wanted Peeta dead, because he told her he hated his mother. She beat him and threatened him every night. She hated him so much because he had a mother, a family, but he complained. She would be happy to have a mother anymore, and he gets one but complains? It seemed off in her mind.

Peeta set up camp again, and heard Cato's rustle in the bushes. He swordsman was now tired and hungry, but he wouldn't stop for a break until he knew Peeta was safe.

"Cato?" Peeta asked in all directions, catching his attention. "If you're out there, come out here with me please." He asks as if he's speaking to no one.

Cato slowly steps from the trees, cautiously checking from side to side, making sure no one is watching.

"H-How'd you know I was out there?" Cato asks, only to receive a shrug and a grateful smile from the boy.

"Guessed." He says, and motions Cato to sit next to him. Cato instead takes a spot across from him as the young baker sets a fire with ease. Cato never liked fire, which was ironic because Peeta had come out on his chariot the first night engulfed in flames.

Cato sits awkwardly as Peeta offers him some meat he caught with his spear.

"You eat it. You caught it." Cato says, pushing it away. Peeta shoves it back in his direction.

"I insist."

Cato sighs. "I'm not hungry. Really." Cato lies.

Peeta rolls his eyes at Cato. "How can you possibly say you aren't starved? You haven't eaten in two days."

Cato shrugs. "I just... You need it more. Now eat it." Cato almost demands.

Peeta puses a few seconds, then pushes it back over to him again. "Please take it. I feel like I owe you. Please." he begs.

Cato sighs and rips it out of his hands, devouring the chunk of meat in mere seconds.

Peeta laughs. "And you weren't hungry." He says.

Cato smiles back at him. He decides to change the subject. "S-So... You knew I was out there... You're okay with me following you around like a puppy?" He says, his grin fading slowly though it's still there.

Peeta laughs subtly, tearing a piece of meat off and putting it in his mouth. "If you're protecting me then I'm really fine with it." he says, then decides to ask the question he's been wondering for a while. "Why are you protecting me?"

Cato doesn't answer and just sits there. He doesn't want to scare him off. "Hey uh, I think we should head to sleep..." He says awkwardly, trying to push the subject aside.

Peeta doesn't fight it and tries forgetting he even asked. "Sure." he says, his demeanor is annoyed though he lays his sleeping bag out and lays down.

Cato stands and brushes himself off, preparing to leave before Peeta stops him. "Could you... Could you please stay? Just until I fall asleep?"

Cato smiles and nods, falling back to the ground. He sits with him in silence until the morning. And Peeta would never say it, but secretly he hopes Cato won't be gone in the morning.


End file.
